September Kickstarter Roundup!

Happy day, friends!

Despite my best efforts, it’s been tough to find time to squeeze in any Kickstarter previews and reviews. Life (and work) have a way of eating all of my time. But never fear! I’m still bringing you some of my favorite Kickstarter games that are live this month. So without any more fiddlefarting, here they are…

Beatdown: Streets of Justice

If you grew up in the late ’80s and early ’90s like I did, then you’re probably no stranger to awesome side-scrolling beat-em-up arcade games like Final Fight, River City Ransom, Battletoads, etc. etc. etc. (Okay, Battletoads wasn’t my favorite, but only on account of its insane level of difficulty. Those motorcycles still haunt my nightmares.) Beatdown: Streets of Justice pays homage to those button-mashing classics of yesteryear in the form of a fast-paced, combo builder that can be played with up to four players co-operatively, or 100% solo.

Even the art style on the cards amps up the nostalgia factor – I immediately got some River City Ransom vibes, and with boss character names like Boss Newman and Reflecto the Brilliant, this game really understands its target audience. There’s a tounge-in-cheekness to it that’s great to see in an indie game.

In terms of gameplay, Beatdown: Streets of Justice looks like a riot. Depending on which fighter you’re playing as, you’ve got a totally unique fighting style and way of building combos with your moves (each represented by a card) that adds an element of press-your-luck to the game – with each move you add to your combo, it becomes harder and harder to land your next blow, and you could leave yourself open to enemies’ attacks. This, along with the art style and theme, is the perfect tabletop representation of those old school arcade games, where you had to time your strikes and combos just right.

Microwbrew

From the masterminds One Free Elephant (makers of Ore-some! and one of my favorites, Carcosa), Microbrew packs a lot of punch in a tiny box. It follows in the product design footsteps of other tiny-box games like Mint Works, which I absolutely love – I’m always in need of more grab-and-go games that I can take on road trips, camping, or keep in my pocket for a game emergency (hey, it’s a thing).

Microbrew combines some light worker placement with puzzle mechanics to create a light-to-medium weight game about brewing the *perfect* beer. Players try to to combine wort and hops in the correct combinations to earn loyal brewery customers. But there’s also an element of added puzzley-ness since players also have to manage the brewery’s advertisements and staff.

The core game has all the components for two players to go head-to-head, but the campaign allows you to pledge a reduced amount for two copies – which allows you to play with up to four players! The Kickstarter page even has some really great animation to show off the gameplay – swing over to the Kickstarter page and check out Microbrew!

Rap Godz

I’ve been following BGBrothas for awhile now on Instagram, and it’s so awesome to finally see Rap Godz live on Kickstarter! I’m a huge fan of underserved themes in board games, and Rap Godz delivers a great game and phenomenal art fully integrated into the theme of becoming a hip hop legend. While it’s true I’ll probably never tire of high fantasy or zombies, it’s a lot more exciting when you play a game that’s unique and fully-realized.

In Rap Godz, up to four players compete to earn the most plaques (bronze, gold, and platium, of course!) by taking over cities, achieving career goals, and starting beef with other players. One of the coolest examples of how the game is perfectly tuned to the theme, is the turntable-esque game board –

Everything about Rap Godz oozes theme – from the gameplay to the product design to the artwork. I’m not kidding when I say that I’d have backed this game just for the artwork alone. There’s a lot of old school hip hop nostalgia packed into this game, and I can’t wait to see these guys fully fund the Kickstarter and start unlocking stretch goals. Be sure to check out Rap Godz on Kickstarter!

World of Mythology: King of the Hill

Speaking of high fantasy… feast your eyes on all the glory that is World of Mythology: King of the Hill! World of Mythology: King of the Hill promises to be a role-playing board game, which can be played competitively, co-operatively, or even solo. (Score!) The gameplay is divided into two phases, with players exploring a gorgeously illustrated world to strengthen your hero with artifacts and treasures in the first phase, and then fight for the Holy Hill and the right to be called the highest god in the second phase.

This game is just packed to the brim with amazing gameplay – there’s a lot to love about it, and it’s great to see a somewhat weightier game on Kickstarter, which tends to favor lighter, more family-friendly fare. (Nothing wrong with that though!) The Kickstarter page has a nice rundown of the core elements of the strategic role-playing centric gameplay, and the Jumperound team is planning on posting a tutorial video in the near future as well.

Aside from the meaty and delicious gameplay, World of Mythology: King of the Hill also boasts an impressive amount of fiddly components. My poor nerd heart could barely contain itself when I pored over the board, cards, tokens, and… miniatures. These are some of the coolest miniatures I’ve seen from an indie Kickstarter. In all, there are 47 minis in 17 unique sculpts – all representing six different mythological pantheons (Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Slavic, Hindu, and a Lovecraftian “mixed” mythology).

I didn’t want to post a ton of pictures on the blog to save your devices some data if you’re on a cellular network… but be darned sure to check out the Kickstarter page to feast your eyes on all of World of Mythology: King of the Hill!

Well, gang, that’s all for today. Until next time! Keep it plucky!
Nick